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Arthur Frommer Online

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Another Foolish Effort by Trump to Ban Travel to Cuba, Says Arthur Frommer

As if their previous efforts had not been sufficiently foolish, the Trump administration has just announced a further effort to reduce travel to Cuba. Effective in just a few…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Just How Do "Free Tours" Work? An Interview With Sandemans New Europe

Free tours: You’ll find them in every major tourist destination on the planet nowadays, and plenty of minor ones, too. Because they’re not technically free—tips are expected (though…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New Bill in U.S. Congress Would Squash Hidden Resort Fees. Here's How to Help

A new bill introduced in Congress today will spell the end of hotel resort fees. Maybe. The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 would classify the nondisclosure of resort fees…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Thomas Cook Shuts Down: What to Do and How to Protect Yourself Now

In 1841, Thomas Cook founded the travel business that has carried his name to charter a train for travel to a temperance rally. Since then, the company has arranged the travel of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Take Your Next Beach Vacation in the Bahamas: It's the Right Thing to Do

The pictures are devastating: mile after mile of rubble, overturned cars, and marooned boats where once homes, streets, and marinas stood. Hurricane Dorian, the slow-moving, hugely…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Will Fall Foliage Be Worth Seeing This Year in New England? Here's An Expert's Forecast

New England’s fall foliage show is right around the corner. Leaf peepers are polishing their binoculars, planning their routes, and booking their B&Bs. In preparation for this…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Major Newspaper Asks If It's Ethical to Fly. Arthur Frommer Wants Your Thoughts

Depending on your politics, you either do or you don’t regard The New York Times as the nation’s leading newspaper. But after that paper’s recent examination of the relation between…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Battle Royal is Raging Between Airlines Flying to Hawaii, Writes Arthur Frommer

The fight is on. The battle rages. In March and April just past, Southwest Airlines began flying from San Jose and Oakland, California, to Honolulu and Maui. It will soon add daily…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Preventing Travel to Cuba Is Harming Ordinary Cubans the Most

When the Trump Administration recently announced its reversal of the Obama effort to permit American travel to Cuba, it justified this new limitation by the effect it would have on the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Viewing Whales and Dolphins in Captivity Should No Longer be Seen as Ethical

A major step forward in the ethical treatment of large sea life was just taken by Sir Richard Branson. On behalf of all the Branson entities, he has announced that his companies…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Vacation Rental Law Hits Hawaii Hard—How to Navigate Tough Rental Regulations

Long before Airbnb was a twinkle on founder Brian Chesky’s browser, New York State had a law severely limiting short-term rentals. Called the "Multiple Dwelling Law," it has, in its…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: An Alarming Drop in Incoming Foreign Tourists Will Devastate Us

The health of the American economy isn’t always shown in employment figures or gross domestic product. It is also affected by ups and downs in our success in attracting foreign…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why Universal Orlando's Just-Announced Theme Park Is a Game Changer

It's official. Universal Orlando is building a third Florida theme park.Universal's Epic Universe, officially confirmed Thursday morning, is being built on 750 acres about four miles…

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An Adult Returns to Sleepaway Camp at Interlochen Arts Camp in Northern Michigan

Proust had his madeleines. But for me, the sight of a vanilla-and-chocolate swirled cone being served through a window marked “Melody Freeze” was a memory prompt. With the first lick,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Yosemite's Historic Names Restored: Company Holding Them Hostage Relents

One of the most asinine instances of overlawyering in a genuinely asinine age has finally come to a resolution. In 2016, the year the National Park Service marked its centennial,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The American Economy is Losing Billions from the Current Trade War: Arthur Frommer

Supporters of the president’s trade war against China are undoubtedly unaware of the impact of that angry policy on the number of Chinese tourists visiting the United States. I have…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The President’s Ban on Travel to Cuba is an Odious Denial of Rights

The President of the United States has, in effect, blocked most Americans from visiting Cuba. In a recent directive, he prohibited the most popular means of going there (the cruise…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Richard Branson Touts His New Cruise, But What Is it Like, Asks Arthur Frommer

You can count on Sir Richard Branson to market his new ocean-going cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, in an utterly unique fashion—and that’s what he has now done. Springing the funds…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: It's Smart to Make Sure Your Airbnb Host is at Home

A massive battle is being waged in courtrooms all over the world between supporters of short-term apartment rentals and cities wanting to put an end to those uses. The cities claim…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

This Year is A Great Year for Memphis. Our Frommer's Guide Writer Explains

When we come out with a new guidebook at Frommer’s, we tap the best local journalists to write it. One such pro is Ashley Brantley, a native of Nashville who grew up in Memphis (and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Aviation Industry is Asked to Do Something About Emissions, Writes Arthur Frommer

If humankind is to survive into the next century, something will have to be done about the drastic climate change currently experienced on earth. Though narrow-minded politicians…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Website Called Fairbnb Has Flung an "Ethical" Challenge to Airbnb

Although it has successfully helped millions of travelers to find overnight accommodations in an apartment or home, Airbnb is still mired in controversy and fending off attacks. It…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Trump Administration Announces Bans on Cruises and Tours to Cuba

The other zapato has dropped. In April, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the Treasury Department would soon implement new regulations to restrict…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

An App That (Almost) Guarantees the Lowest Hotel Rates

It’s said there are no guarantees in life. But does that apply to travel? For hotels, a relatively new app may offer the closest thing to a guaranteed low price that I’ve seen. It’s…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Seaweed is Invading the Mexican Caribbean, But There's a Bright Side

Among the current important news of travel is a sudden and mysterious drop in tourist traffic to the so-called “Mexican Caribbean” (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Tulum, the…